Baked Apple Cider Donuts
These soft, spiced baked apple cider donuts are the ultimate fall treat. Made with reduced apple cider, cozy spices, and coated in cinnamon sugar, they’re easy to make and perfect for crisp mornings, pumpkin patch outings, or seasonal brunches.
Equipment
- Donut Pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Saucepan
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Apple cider
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 Large egg
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup Unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil (or melted butter)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ cup Granulated sugar (for coating)
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon (for coating)
- 4 tbsp Melted butter (for coating)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a donut pan.
- Pour apple cider into a saucepan and simmer until reduced to about ½ cup. Let it cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg, sugars, applesauce, oil, vanilla, and cooled cider until smooth.
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet mixture. Do not overmix. Spoon or pipe batter into donut pan, filling ¾ full.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool slightly before removing from pan.
- Mix sugar and cinnamon for coating. Brush each donut with melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar.
Notes
Store donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat gently before serving. For variations, try an apple cider glaze or swap cinnamon for pumpkin spice.